Osleys Iglesias (14 wins, 0 losses, 13 KOs) progressively wore down Vladimir Shishkin (16 wins, 2 losses, 10 KOs), leading to a stoppage and an eighth-round technical knockout in an IBF super middleweight title eliminator, held Thursday evening at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Canada.
Iglesias Showcases Superior Power
The left-handed Cuban Iglesias, aged 27, caused Shishkin’s knees to buckle with a direct left hand at 2 minutes and 34 seconds into the eighth round. This punch caused Shishikin to stumble backward. Iglesias continued to land lefts on Shishkin, further staggering him and forcing him against the ropes.
Subsequently, Osleys unleashed an eight-punch combination, with the majority of the blows penetrating Shishkin’s guard. He moved away from the ropes, attempting to distance himself from Iglesias, but was once more forced back after absorbing a left-right combination.
Under heavy pressure, Shishkin attempted to evade the assault, circling the ring while enduring a constant barrage. Ultimately, Iglesias cornered Shishikin against the ropes and delivered 10 forceful blows to the head, prompting referee Michael Griffin to intervene and end the fight.
Slightly less than two minutes remained in the round. It was considered too long for the referee to permit the fight to continue. Shishikin was receiving a significant amount of punishment from Iglesias and not responding effectively. Had referee Griffin allowed the fight to go on, Iglesias would have likely caused him to fall, given the clean lefts and rights Shishikin was absorbing at the time of the stoppage.
Shishkin’s Best Efforts Prove Insufficient
Shishikin had performed respectably in rounds 1 through 7, employing an amateur-style approach in an attempt to outmaneuver Iglesias. This strategy was occasionally effective, but he still absorbed considerable force in each round. By the seventh round, both of Shishikin’s eyes were heavily bruised, and his face was swollen from the numerous powerful punches landed by Osleys.
This victory establishes Iglesias as the IBF mandatory challenger, awaiting the outcome of the September 13th match between current undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
